A Test of True Love (A Ghost Adventures Fan Fic)
by GhostAdventuresLover17
Summary: Alright, so here's my first story to be published on . I hope you guys enjoy! Plot summary: Zak, Nick, Aaron, Billy, Jay, and I go back one last time to Bobby Mackey's Music World, and good/bad/crazy stuff happens. Rating for romance, slight language, Demonic possession, and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I stepped slowly out of my car, taking a deep breath. The warm summer breeze brushed lazily across my cheeks, gently tugging on loose tendrils of my hair. I adjusted my baseball cap on my head as I nervously surveyed my surroundings. I was standing outside of Bobby Mackey's Music World in Wilder, Kentucky, an infamous night club that's rumored to be a portal to Hell… The place seemed so quiet, almost like it was deserted. I checked my watch and saw that it was 10:40. I was twenty minutes early. I had recently won a contest that had been sponsored by the Travel Channel, and now I was getting to meet the five guys that hosted my favorite TV show, "Ghost Adventures": Nick Groff, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, Jay Wasley, and… ZAK BAGANS! I had won the contest almost a month ago by answering a simple question that had been that had been asked over the radio: "Which lockdown inspired Zak to get the huge tattoo that he has on his back?" I had been the fifth person to call in, and I'd had the right answer. Zak had gotten that huge, Demon-looking tattoo after being possessed by a Demon on Poveglia Island in Italy. And because I knew that, I was now going to meet the five guys that I had seen on television two nights a week for over a year, _and_ I was going to participate in their third or fourth investigation of Bobby Mackey's. I was supposed to be meeting the guys at eleven, so I could have a look around the place before we investigated the next night, but I had left my hotel thirty minutes early. I had never been here before, even though I had a friend who lived in Wilder, and I was afraid I'd have trouble finding the club. So I had left thirty minutes early to allow myself plenty of time to get to the club on time. It had turned out, though, that the club was only about ten minutes away from my hotel, and I'd had no trouble finding it. So I was twenty minutes early. I had been very selective that morning when I'd chosen what I was going to wear today. I wanted to impress the guys – especially Zak (alright, _mostly_ Zak) – but I didn't want to come off as crazy because of how obsessed I was. So I had worn a pair of simple, black sneakers and a pair of blue jeans. And then I had also worn a black baseball cap that had "Ghost Adventures" written across the front in white letters, plus a black t-shirt that was identical to the ones that my friends and I had made back home. On the front of the shirt was the "Ghost Adventures" emblem, and then on the back, in big, white letters, the shirt said, "Can you handle the lockdown?" It was a really cool t-shirt, and my friends and I loved them. I had thirteen friends back home in Kansas that loved "Ghost Adventures", and then there was my friend, Meghan, who lived here in Wilder. Five of us – including Meghan and I – loved Zak, six of them loved Nick, and four of them who loved Aaron. And so we would have playful fights about who was hotter: Zak, Nick, or Aaron. It was a lot of fun! I looked around me again, and I finally saw a white van parked next to what had once been the slaughterhouse, when this property had been a slaughterhouse. And leaning against the van were four men… My heart started pounding in my chest as I realized who the guys were. It was Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay. Zak, to my slight disappointment, was nowhere to be seen. The guys were leaning casually against the van, talking to each other. I swallowed and, mustering up all of my courage, walked across the parking lot to them. They looked up and saw me coming, and eventually they came to meet me. "Hey." Nick said, smiling gently at me. "Are you Andrea Gunderson?" I nodded and smiled back at him. "Yeah, I'm Andrea. It's nice to meet you." Nick extended his left hand and I shook hands with him as he said, "I'm Nick. It's nice to meet you too!" I looked at Nick's face as he shook my hand, and the warm, gentle look in his brown eyes put me at ease. I had always thought he was kind of cute – not hot like Zak, of course, but still cute. "It's kind of a shame he's married." I thought as I studied his face. I knew that Stacey, Lisa, Jamie, Hannah, Lucinda, and Irene (my friends) would have killed to be in my shoes in that moment, and I felt very grateful that I had gotten this opportunity to meet the guys and spend time with them. When Nick released my hand, I felt someone put their arm around my shoulders. I turned slightly and came face-to-face with Aaron. He had a huge grin on his face, and I couldn't help but chuckle slightly and grin back at him. "Hi Aaron." I said, still laughing. "It's nice to meet you too!" Aaron gave me a bear hug and said, "It's nice to meet you too Andrea! I like your shirt!" I grinned and said, "Thanks Aaron." "What's on the back of it?" Nick asked. I turned around and let him read the back of my shirt. "'Can you handle the lockdown?'" he read out. "Very nice." When I turned around again, Billy looked at me and said, "I guess that's the big question for tomorrow night, isn't it? _Can_ you handle the lockdown?" He smiled at me and I knew he was half-teasing me. "I think I can." I replied. "We'll find out tomorrow night, though." Aaron chuckled. "She looks tough to me Billy." he said. "I wouldn't mess with her if I were you!" We all started laughing then, and I said, "It's okay Billy. I won't hurt you!" Billy let out a mock sigh of relief, and I just shook my head, trying hard not to start laughing again. It almost pained me to look at Billy. He looked so much like my best friend's dad, and my best friend had died last April… "You know Billy," I said softly. "you look almost exactly like my best friend's dad. It's kind of cool." Billy grinned and high-fived me, and I grinned back at him. Jay extended his hand towards me and said, "Before these monkeys get carried away, I'm Jay. It's nice to meet you Andrea." I laughed softly, shook his hand, and said, "Hi Jay. It's nice to meet you too." When Jay and I pulled our hands back, Nick looked at me and said, "I bet you're wondering where Zak is?" I blushed deeply and nodded, making the guys all chuckle. Nick grinned at me and said, "He'll be out in a minute. He went in to get Bobby and Karl." I nodded, knowing he meant Bobby Mackey himself, as well as Karl Lawason, the retired caretaker of the club who had been possessed by a Demon in his apartment above the club. "So are you nervous at all for tomorrow night?" Aaron asked, as we all leaned back against the cool metal side of the van. I just shrugged. "Not really. I mean, I know what's here and I know what it's capable of, but fearing it really isn't going to help me face it." Nick and Aaron both nodded at me. "That's a good attitude to have." Nick said quietly. "If you're too afraid this crap can get to you and mess with you, but if you're merely cautious, it has a somewhat harder time of getting to you." I nodded. "I know." The truth of the matter was that I wasn't scared, but I _was_ pretty nervous. I knew there were Demons here. I knew what they had done to Zak, Nick, and Aaron during their previous investigations. I had seen both of the episodes that they had filmed here. I'd heard horror stories from my friend, Meghan, who lived in Wilder and who had been possessed at Bobby Mackey's. I knew the dark history of the club. And yet I wasn't afraid. I was pretty apprehensive about what was going to happen, but, more than anything, I was nervous about meeting Zak. I'd had a crush on him for several months now – my friends teased me mercilessly about it – and I wanted to make a good impression on him. So I had decided that I was going to worry about meeting Zak first, and _then_ start worrying about surviving tomorrow night. "So have you seen both of the episodes we've filmed here?" Aaron asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I nodded. "Yeah I have." "What did you think of them?" Nick asked. "You three are either really brave or really stupid!" All four of the guys burst out laughing. "You're probably right about that Andrea!" Nick said, while Aaron, Billy, and Jay all nodded. "Do you remember any of the history of this place?" Billy asked. I nodded again. "This place started out as a slaughterhouse before it became a bar, and then Bobby Mackey's nightclub. There was a young woman named Pearl Bryan who was murdered here by her boyfriend, Scott Jackson, and his friend, Alonzo Walling, in 1896. Jackson and Walling decapitated Pearl and then, according to legend, they threw her head down the well in the slaughterhouse as a blood sacrifice to the Devil. Pearl's body was found out here by the railroad tracks, but her head was never found. Jackson, Walling, and Pearl are said to still haunt here, and that sacrifice is supposedly the source of all of the Demonic activity here. Pearl was five months pregnant when she died. And then there's Johanna. Her father owned a bar here back in the 1930s, and there was a man named Robert Randall who became a regular at the bar, and who Johanna fell in love with. Randall fell in love with Johanna too, but Johanna's father was jealous and didn't want them to be together, so he had Randall killed in the middle of the night. When Johanna found out that Randall was dead, and that her father had had him killed, she took her own life. And now she's supposedly still haunting here, looking for Randall and looking for justice." Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay all looked impressed by how much I knew. I grinned at them and was going to continue on with what I remembered of their lockdowns here, but I was stopped before the words had even formed in my mouth. I heard footsteps behind me, and then an all-too familiar voice say, "Wow! I'm impressed! I know Bobby Mackey's is one of our more well-known locations, but I wasn't expecting you to know that much about the place!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I felt like time itself had stopped. I felt like my heart had momentarily stopped beating. I'd know that voice anywhere. How many times had I heard it coming out of my TV? How many times had I fantasized about all the sweet nothings that voice could say to me? I took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and came face-to-face with Zak Bagans. The top of my head barely came up to his shoulders, and I had to crane my neck a little to get a good look at him. He was so sexy and beautiful, and I wanted to memorize every part of him. His firm, muscular arms and chest. His high cheekbones and forehead. His short, slightly spiked, black hair… He was wearing a tight, black t-shirt that showed of his muscles, black jeans, and black sneakers. His black sunglasses were perched on top of his head. I looked at his lips – those beautiful lips that I had dreamed about kissing for so long – and finally I looked at his eyes… My heart skipped another beat as I looked into his clear, gentle, bright blue eyes. He grinned at me – the most beautiful grin I'd ever seen – and I smiled back shyly. "Hi Zak." I said softly, blushing slightly. "Hey Andrea!" he said. My heart about melted at the way he said my name. He reached out and gently pulled me into his arms, giving me a big hug. I hugged him back tightly, loving how I could feel his muscles through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. I wrapped my arms around his torso, burying my head in his chest, and breathed in the dark, spicy scent that was uniquely him. After a few seconds he let go of me and, looking between me and Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay said, "I just talked to Bobby. He and Karl want to take us into the slaughterhouse and up to Karl's old apartment first, get those two places out of the way, and then go check out the main part of the club." The guys and I all nodded and then Billy said, "Alright. Let's go check it out." Zak gave him a thumbs up, but I saw Aaron shudder. "Here we go." he said. "Straight back to Hell." Zak, Billy, and I led the way into the slaughterhouse, with Nick, Aaron, and Jay right behind us. We went into the dark building, and the scent of must hit us all in the face. The slaughterhouse was freezing cold, even in the middle of the day on a warm Summer day. I shivered slightly as I felt goose bumps erupt all up and down my arms. I looked over at Zak and Billy's arms (I was walking between them) and I could see the goose bumps on their arms too. "Holy cow!" Zak said. "Do you guys feel that!?" Billy and I both nodded, and we all turned around to look at Nick, Aaron, and Jay. "We feel it too Zak." Nick said, as the three of them held out their arms to show us. "There's no air-conditioning in here is there?" Aaron asked. Zak shook his head. "I don't think so. There hasn't been any in this building the other times we've been here." "And Bobby doesn't use this building at all, because of the well." I chimed in softly. Zak nodded. "Exactly. So there's only one explanation for all of this cold air…" Zak didn't finish his sentence. He didn't have to. We were all thinking one word: Demons. At that moment, Bobby and Karl both walked into the slaughterhouse behind us. We all turned as they walked in, both of them grinning at the six of us. "Hey guys!" Zak said, leaving my side and going to shake hands with Bobby and Karl. "Hey to you guys too!" Bobby said, grinning at Zak and shaking his hand. "It's good to see you all!" Karl said, smiling at Zak and shaking his hand too. I carefully studied Bobby and Karl from my place beside Billy. I had seen them both on TV before – on the show – and Meghan had described both of them to me before, and neither of them looked like they had changed much. Bobby and Karl greeted Nick and Aaron, and then they turned to Billy, Jay, and I. "Bobby, Karl," Zak said, indicating Billy, Jay, and I. "this is Billy Tolley and Jay Wasley. They're our audio-visual techs, and they're going to be running nerve center for us tomorrow night. And this is Andrea Gunderson. She's the girl who won the contest a month ago and who will be investigating with us tomorrow night." I smiled and waved at Bobby and Karl, and they smiled and waved back at me. "Well," Bobby said. "are you guys ready to see the well?" They guys nodded, and so did I, and Bobby said, "Alright. Let's go." Bobby and Karl led the way through the slaughterhouse, with the rest of us following close behind. I stayed close to Zak, hugging myself to keep warm. I would be lying if I said the place didn't give me the creeps. It did. The slaughterhouse was already dark and damp, and knowing about everything that had gone on in this very building only added to the creepy feeling. Zak noticed that I was hugging myself, and he asked, "Are you just cold, or are you scared too?" I shook my head. "I'm just cold. I mean, this place _is_ pretty creepy, but I'm not afraid." Zak nodded and wrapped his arm tightly around me, hugging me to his side. I smiled up at him shyly as my heart fluttered in my chest. He grinned back at me, and I lightly wrapped my left arm around his waist. "Thanks." I said softly. He nodded. "You're welcome." When we reached the well, we all stood in a small circle around the edge of it. The air that seemed to come up out of the well was ice-cold – much colder than the air in the rest of the slaughterhouse. None of us said a word for a minute or two, but then Bobby said, "Well, here it is. The cause of all the chaos and Demonic activity here…" I looked down into the dark hole, and in my mind's eye I could see the blood of cows and pigs draining down into the well, and then I could see the severed head of Pearl Bryan floating in the dark water, her features frozen into an expression of pure fear and horror… I shivered involuntarily. "This place gives me the creeps." Aaron said. "Me too." Bobby replied quietly. "That's why I never come in here anymore." "You okay man?" Nick asked, making all of us look up. He was looking at Zak, who was standing right next to me. I noticed that Zak had his right hand on the middle of his back and he was still looking down into the well. For a brief second I didn't understand why Nick had asked Zak that. But then I realized: Zak had his hand over the exact spot where he had been scratched by a Demonic entity in this very room five years before… I had seen the video that Nick had taken of the actual scratches, and they had been pretty disturbing to see. That had been during their very first investigation here at Bobby Mackey's. "Are you okay Zak?" Nick asked again, giving Zak a worried look. Zak slowly nodded. "I think so." he said quietly. "Are your scars bothering you?" Aaron asked. "Sort of." Zak replied. "It's more like a prickling sensation than a burning sensation. It doesn't feel like it did when I got them. So I think I'm okay." Nick and Aaron both nodded. "If that changed, let us know." Billy said softly. Zak nodded. "I will." "You still have the scars from that?" I asked quietly. "The physical scars?" Zak nodded. "Yeah. Do you want to see them?" I shrugged, feigning indifference. In reality, though, I felt like my heart was going to beat itself out of my chest with anticipation. I couldn't believe that I was about to see Zak's bare back in person! "Sure." I said. "Okay." Zak replied. "Let's head back out to the parking lot then. The lighting's better out there." I nodded and the eight of us made our way back out to the parking lot. However, before we turned to leave the well, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aaron, Nick, Billy, and Jay exchange smirks. When we were outside again, the cold that we'd been feeling the entire time we were in the slaughterhouse disappeared and was then abruptly replaced by the warm sunshine. Zak went over to the guy's van, and the rest of us followed him. He then turned his back to me and slowly lifted his shirt up… His back was gorgeous! His skin was smooth, lightly tanned, and absolutely beautiful! And the scars _were_ still visible… There were three identical scars on the exact middle of Zak's back… The scratched themselves looked like they'd been made by human fingernails, but the fact that there was only three scratches showed that there was something unnatural about them. The scars _had_ started to fade, but, even after all these years, they were still fairly prominent… "Holy cow…" I breathed. "That's crazy…" Zak slowly lowered his shirt and turned around to face me. "It was crazy." he said quietly. "But there was certainly _nothing_ holy about it…" I shivered slightly, knowing the truth of Zak's words. "Alright Zak," Jay said. "don't freak her out. We want her to come with us tomorrow night." I chuckled. "Don't worry Jay," I said. "no matter what happens, I'm coming back here with you all tomorrow night." "That's the spirit!" Zak said, grinning at me. I laughed slightly and smiled at him. "No pun intended, right?" I teased him softly, causing the rest of them to start laughing. "Right." Zak replied, flashing me another grin. "Alright then," Karl said, once the laughter had died down. "let's go see my apartment." We all nodded, and he led us over to the main part of the club, and up the long flight of wooden stairs that led to the apartment where he had lived for so many years. Karl unlocked the door for us and we went inside. The first thing I noticed was how dark and cold the place was. You could tell that it had once been an apartment, but now it was just a series of empty, dark rooms. Karl went out to the middle of the room and stood there, looking around him. "How long has it been since you've been up here Karl?" Zak asked quietly. "The last time I was up here," Karl said quietly, looking down at the floor. "was when I brought you up here back in 2008…" We were all silent for a few seconds, and then Nick asked quietly, "What does it feel like being up here after all those years?" Karl didn't say anything for a few seconds. It looked like he wasn't quite sure how to put what he was feeling into words. Finally he said, "I guess it's kind of a cold, lonely, empty feeling. Like I don't belong here, and I never belonged here…" "Do you feel like there are Demonic entities here?" Zak asked. Karl nodded. "I do. And I believe that whatever's here is whatever possessed me all those years ago. I also believe that if this… thing didn't already know not to mess with me… it would try to attack me…" "Does it not like Nick, Aaron, Billy, Jay, Andrea, and I being here?" Karl slowly shook his head and finally looked up at us. "They hate all six of you. They don't want you three," Karl indicated Zak, Nick, and Aaron. "coming back here. And they don't want you three," This time he indicated Billy, Jay, and I. "coming here at all…" A dead silence fell over all of us as Karl's words sank in. "Well," Zak said finally, after about thirty seconds of us all standing there in complete and utter silence. "it sounds like we're in for one Hell of a lockdown…" "Literally…" Aaron muttered. "Alright," Karl said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I don't want to be in here anymore. This place is starting to make me really uncomfortable…" "Me too." Aaron said quietly. "Let's head on down to the club." Bobby said quietly. Zak nodded. "Let's go." he said softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It was obvious to all of us that something was obviously bothering Karl, so we were more than willing to take Bobby's suggestion to go down to the club. The club was set up with a huge stage and a bunch of circular tables with chairs. All sorts of memorabilia was hung on the walls, and the place definitely had an old-time, western country feel. It was cool. "Wow!" I said. "This is amazing!" Bobby grinned at me. "I'm glad you like it. Most people do." "Isn't this where Johanna is supposed to haunt?" I looked over at Bobby curiously, and he nodded. "Yes. This is where most people encounter Johanna. Only a handful of people have actually _seen_ her – I never have – but we hear her walking around a lot, and we sometimes hear her crying. And of course lots and lots of people – myself included – have smelled her rose-scented perfume." I nodded, taking another look around. "I'm assuming you know the story of Johanna?" Bobby asked me. I nodded again. "Yes. And I'm hoping to communicate with her tomorrow night. But we'll see." "Do you like tragic love stories?" Zak asked, looking at me curiously. He was leaning back against the front of the stage with his arms folded across his chest. It amazed me that he was able to look extremely sexy without even trying. I nodded once more. "I do. And I don't even really know why. I've always had a certain love for _Romeo and Juliet_ stories. I guess what really… attracts me to tragic love stories, I guess you could say, is the idea of two people loving each other and being willing to risk everything for each other, even though everyone around them says they can't be together." Zak nodded and smiled gently at me. "Well then," he said. "maybe you can communicate with Johanna tomorrow night. If she knows she has a sympathetic ear to talk to, she'll probably be more willing to show herself and communicate." I nodded. "Alright. I'm game!" "Awesome!" Zak said, reaching out his left fist. I fist-bumped him (I could barely breathe when his warm, rough skin connected with mine), and then Bobby said, "Alright you guys. I think that's everything you need to see. Karl and I'll see you about eight o'clock tomorrow night." "Alright." Zak said. "Tomorrow night should be interesting!" We all went out to the parking lot, and Bobby turned to us and said, "Alright you guys, be careful tonight and tomorrow! We don't want anything to happen to you before you even get going with the lockdown!" He then turned to Billy, Jay, and I in turn and said, "Billy, Jay, Andrea, it was wonderful to meet you all! We'll see you tomorrow night!" "It was nice to see you guys again," Karl said, shaking hands with Zak, Nick, and Aaron. "and it was nice to meet the three of you." Karl shook hands with Billy, Jay, and I. "It was nice to meet you both too!" I said, first shaking hands with Bobby, and then with Karl. We then all said our final goodbyes, and then Karl and Bobby went back into the club, and Zak, Nick, Aaron, Billy, Jay, and I went back over to the guys' van. We stood in a group around the van, and Zak turned to me and said, "Just so you know, Billy and Jay aren't going to be participating in the actual investigation with us tomorrow night. Instead they're going to be running Nerve Center out here." I nodded, understanding what he was telling me. Billy and Jay were both members of the Ghost Adventures Crew (as the guys called themselves), but it wasn't until the end of Season Seven that Billy and Jay had actually started participating in the lockdowns. Normally, like they would be doing tomorrow night, they ran Nerve Center for Zak, Nick, and Aaron, watching them on the X-Cameras and keeping track of paranormal activity throughout the entire building. Zak continued his explanation of the next night, breaking through my thoughts. "We're setting up Nerve Center in the back of the van. Now," He looked over my shoulder at Billy and Jay. "I think the two of you have everything already set up for tomorrow night?" Billy and Jay both nodded. "That's correct." Billy replied. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow night to put the final touches on everything, though, once we've got the X-Cameras up and running." Zak gave them a double thumbs-up. "That's awesome! That's what I like to hear!" Billy opened up the back of the van, and I could see the computers and monitors that he and Jay had set up so they could run Nerve Center the next night, and also keep an eye on Zak, Nick, Aaron, and I while we were investigating. Zak swung himself up into the back of the van – I got a nice view of his butt as he did so – and then he turned around and offered me his hand. I took his hand, my heart pounding in my chest, and he pulled me up into the van with him. He then led me up towards the front of the van as Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay climbed in after us. All across the back seat, someone (probably Zak) had laid out all of the equipment that we would be using the next night. The six of us leaned against the back of the seat (I was between Zak and Nick), and Zak said, "Alright. So this is what we're going to be using tomorrow night. We wanted to give you a quick tutorial kind of thing so you'll be ready for the lockdown." I nodded. "Okay. Cool!" Zak grinned at me (again) and then pointed to the video camera that was sitting on the far left side of the seat. It looked like your average video camera, but I knew better. I'd seen the guys use them ever since I started watching "Ghost Adventures", and I knew that the cameras the guys used were capable of a little bit more than your average video camera. The cameras the guys used could not only shoot in normal vision, but they could also shoot in night vision (which shot in washed-out shades of green). That's how they were able to document their findings and shoot the show in total darkness in the dead of night. I looked at the camera and Zak said, "That's one of the cameras we'll be using during our lockdown. They can shoot in normal vision as well as night vision. Nick, Aaron, and I will probably all have one during the lockdown, so we can film what we capture, as well as each other when we're trying to communicate with the spirits." I nodded, and Zak pointed to the object sitting right next to the camera. He then looked at me and said, "What is that and what does it do?" I looked back at him and said, "It's a digital recorder. You guys use them to capture electronic voice phenomenon, which are better known as EVPs or spirit voices." Nick gave me a high-five, and Zak gave me a nod of approval. Aaron, Billy, and Jay each gave me a thumbs-up. Zak pointed at the next object, and I said, "That's the Spirit Box. It sweeps backwards through different radio frequencies and allows spirits to come through the white noise and talk to us." Zak nodded again and his smile widened (if that was even possible; he was smiling so big already). I think Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay were grinning at me too, but I didn't notice or really care. All that mattered in that moment was that Zak was happy with me… He pointed to the next two objects, looking at me with confidence. I was determined not to fail him. I looked at the next two objects and smiled, knowing exactly what they were. The first object looked like a calculator (except that it wasn't a calculator). And the second object looked like a small, black box with a light on top of it. "The first one is an EMF Detector," I said, looking back at Zak. "and the second is an EMF Pump. The EMF Detector measures electromagnetic energy fields and how much electromagnetic energy there is in the air, and if a spirit walks in front of the antennae and disturbs the electromagnetic field, the detector will alarm." I looked at Zak to make sure I was right, and he nodded encouragingly. I continued, "And the EMF Pump pumps out electromagnetic energy, which can enable spirits to manifest themselves and/or make their presence known." Zak nodded again and gently wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He gently squeezed my right shoulder, and I swear I thought my heart was going to beat itself right out of my chest. The next object Zak pointed to was a round black thing with three tiny light bulb looking things on it, and antennas coming up beside each of the light bulbs. "That's a rim pod." I said softly. "If a spirit puts their hand over it or gets close to it, it'll light up and alarm." Zak nodded. "Uh-huh. And what's that?" The next object he pointed to again looked like your average video camera. But it wasn't. It was the guys' full spectrum camera. It filmed in Ultra Violet light and measured the temperature of the things and the environment around it. "That's the full spectrum camera." I replied. "It films in UV light that our eyes can't see, and it measures the temperatures of the objects in the environment around it." Zak nodded again and pointed at the last three pieces of equipment. The first piece of equipment looked like a small, black box, and it had a screen on the top of it. The second object looked like your normal digital still camera (but, again, I knew better). And the third object looked like a calculator with an antennae sticking up out of it. "Those are the Ovulus II, the full spectrum digital still camera, and the Mel-Meter." I finished. "The Ovulus II holds a database of words that sprits can use by manipulating the Ovulus II and choosing whichever words they want to use. The digital still camera takes digital still pictures in UV light. And the Mel-Meter can measure electromagnetic energy, temperate, and pick up spikes of electromagnetic energy." I looked at Zak one last time when I finished talking, and he gave me a _big_ hug. I laughed slightly but still hugged him back. I felt like I was floating on the clouds, and I didn't want to come back down for anything. I just wanted to stay there in Zak's arms forever… All too soon, it seemed, Zak let go of me, and I reluctantly let go of him. I could feel all of the guys' eyes on me – including Zak's – and it took everything I had not to blush. A slightly awkward silence fell over us, and it wasn't broken until Nick cleared his throat. We all turned and looked at him, and he said, "So do we want to go grab some lunch before we go back to the hotel?" We all nodded and Aaron gently rested his arm on my shoulder and asked, "Andrea do you want to come?" I shrugged and grinned. "Sure. Where are we going? And am I allowed to invite my friend Meghan? She lives here in Wilder and works here at Bobby Mackey's, and I know you guys met her one of the times you were here before." "Sure." Aaron said with a grin. "I remember Meghan. She was really sweet! I think it'd be cool to see her again!" "Was she the one who was a fan of mine and who was possessed here a few years ago?" Zak asked, looking at me. I nodded. "Yeah. That's her." Zak grinned. "Cool. Give her a call. And where _are_ we going?" Aaron shrugged and looked around at the rest of us. "Let's go to I-Hop." Zak said with a shrug. Nick grinned. "That sounds good to me!" Aaron, Billy, Jay, and I all nodded, and I said, "I'll text Meghan." I sent Meghan a text, inviting her to go to I-Hop with us, as Zak said, "Alright. Cool. Do we know where the I-Hop _is_ in this town?" All of us kind of faltered and looked around at each other. Finally we all just started laughing. "That's what I thought!" Zak said, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and pulling up a map to the nearest I-Hop. While he was studying the map, Meghan texted me and said that she'd love to come eat lunch with us. Zak found out that the nearest I-Hop was all the way across town, and we all sat looking over Zak's shoulder at the map. I said, "Why don't you guys drive there and I'll follow you, and I can tell Meghan just to meet us there?" Billy nodded. "Okay. That sounds good." "Alright." I said. We all got out of the back of the van, and I went over to my car as Billy, Jay, Zak, Nick, and Aaron got into their van. As I buckled my seatbelt I sent Meaghan one last text and told her to just meet us there. Then I put my phone in my purse and put my purse under the seat next to me. Once I was ready to go, Billy started up the van, pulled out of the parking lot, and led the way to I-Hop.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It was good to see Meghan again. I enjoyed spending time with her, and I know she enjoyed spending time with me. And of course she was excited to see the guys again (but especially Zak). I asked her how College was going for her – she had just finished her Sophomore year of College at the University of Kentucky – and she said that she was enjoying her teachers and her classes, but that she was glad to be home for the summer. I asked her about her mother, Anna, and she said that she was doing fine (Meghan and her mother were the only two left in her immediate family; he father was killed in Iraq in 2006). After brunch (as Aaron called it), we all said goodbye to each other, and Meghan went to Bobby Mackey's to get ready for work (Bobby had hired her as a bar maid three weeks before), and Zak, Nick, Aaron, and I headed to our hotels. I didn't notice that the guys were following me until I pulled into the parking lot of the Marriot, and when we all got out we realized that we were staying at the same hotel. We were even on the same floor (the fourth floor)! I was in Room 401, Zak, Nick, and Aaron were in Room 403, and Billy and Jay were in Room 405. So we were all right next to each other (which made me very happy). The guys had to check into the hotel and then take their bags to their rooms. We had made no other plans for the evening, and I had no idea what the guys did the nights before their lockdowns. So I stayed in my room for most of the afternoon and evening, reading Zak's book, "Dark World". It was very interesting, and it was about his life on and off camera, his experiences with the paranormal throughout his lifetime, as well as his ideas and philosophies on death and the afterlife. I had always wanted to sort of get inside his head, and I was really enjoying how much this book allowed me to do that. Ever since we had gotten back to the hotel I hadn't been able to pull myself away from it, but, at about five o'clock, there was a knock on my door. Reluctantly I marked my place, set my book down on the bed, and went to answer the door. I opened it to reveal Zak standing in the hallway. He had changed clothes, and he was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, black sneakers, a dark blue t-shirt, and a black hoody that had "Ghost Adventures Crew" written on the front in red and white letters. "Hi." I said, stepping out into the hallway (but still leaving the door open behind me). "Hey." Zak said. "Did you have plans for supper?" He looked absolutely adorable standing there, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans and his blue eyes looking at me somewhat hopefully. I shook my head. "No. Did you and the guys have plans?" It was Zak's turn to shake his head as he said, "No. It sounds like Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay are going to order a pizza. I wasn't really in the mood for pizza and I was wondering… Well I was wondering if…" Zak faltered and looked down at his feet as a really cute blush crept up his cheeks, turning them bright pink. I was flattered by his nervousness, and I thought he looked completely adorable. I felt a surge of tenderness towards him as I thought, "He's just like a little kid trying to ask out the girl he has a major crush on." I knew what he was asking me. Or trying to ask me, anyway. So I decided to save him before he really got embarrassed. "You were wondering if I wanted to go to dinner with you." I said gently, giving Zak a reassuring smile. He nodded and looked at me hopefully. I grinned at him and said, "Let me go grab my sneakers, my purse, and a jacket and then we can head out." Zak smiled and said, "Cool." I slipped back inside my room and went over to the foot of my bed. As I put on my tennis shoes and grabbed my Junction City High School hoody out of my suitcase, my heart was beating wildly in my chest and I could hardly contain my excitement. _Zak Bagans_, one of the hottest, most famous TV show hosts in this country, was asking _me_ to go to dinner with him! I slipped my hoody on and then stood up at the foot of my bed. I took a deep breath to calm my heart and my nerves. Then I grabbed my room key and my car keys, slipped them into my pocket, and then went out to the hallway to rejoin Zak. He smiled at me, and I smiled back at him as we walked down the hallway together. We were both silent as we took the elevator down to the lobby. I think we were both absorbed in our own thoughts. When we got outside, I led the way over to my car. I unlocked the car, and Zak moved around me to open my door for me. I smiled at him as I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. "Thanks Zak." I said softly. "You're welcome Andrea." he replied, his voice soft and gentle. I looked at his eyes, and I could have sworn that they were sparkling more than normal. Zak closed my door, went around behind the car, and then slid into the passenger seat beside me. We both buckled up and I pulled out of the parking lot of the hotel. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked as I drove down the street. Zak pulled out his phone and said, "There's an Olive Garden not far from here. Are you in the mood for pasta?" I nodded and grinned. "Always." Zak chuckled. "Alright. Cool. Just turn left up here at the intersection, and then it should be on the right at the very end of the street." I followed Zak's directions, and about two minutes later we were walking in the front doors of Olive Garden. The head waitress' eyes widened when she saw Zak and I. "Can we get a table for two in the back?" Zak asked quietly, very gently putting his arm around my shoulders. The waitress nodded, looking very flustered. "Of course!" she said, grabbing two menus and leading us towards the back of the restaurant. The restaurant was almost deserted, which made Zak relax a little. We got a small, quiet table near the back, where we were out of sight of prying eyes. Neither of us really started talking to each other until after we'd ordered our meals (I got spaghetti and Zak got chicken alfredo). When our waitress had finally left, Zak leaned across the table with his chin resting on his hands. He studied me with those beautiful blue eyes, and I started to feel slightly self-conscious. I shifted uncomfortably, and Zak blushed slightly and looked down at the table. "I'm sorry Andrea." he said softly. "I didn't mean to stare at you." "It's alright." I said quietly. "I'm just not used to guys staring at me, or really even looking at me at all…" "I find that hard to believe." Zak looked back up at me, and I looked up at him. "You do?" I asked softly. Zak nodded. "Why?" "You're beautiful." No sooner had the words left Zak's mouth than we both blushed deeply and looked away from each other. After a few seconds I was able to look back at him and ask, "You really think so?" Zak looked at me and nodded. "I do." he said quietly. "Thanks." I whispered. "You're beautiful too." Zak chuckled softly. "Thanks." he said gently. We were both silent for a few seconds, and then Zak hesitantly reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. And from there he ran his fingers gently across my cheek, until he pulled his hand back… The moment his hand left my face, it took all I had not to reach out and take his hand in mine… His fingers were soft and gentle, and I could feel goose bumps erupt all over my skin. It had been a long time since a man had touched my face – several months, truth be told – and I'd almost forgotten how wonderful it could feel… Zak cleared his throat as he folded his arms across his chest. "I'm sorry." he said quietly. "I was out of bounds. I'm sorry." "It's okay." I said softly. "I didn't mind." Zak smiled shyly. "Okay." he said quietly. He reached his hands out across the table, and I gently took his in mine. We were both silent for several seconds, and then I said, "You're different from what I thought you'd be." A sad expression came over Zak's face, and it puzzled me. "How am I different?" he asked quietly. I considered the question for a moment. "I guess," I said after a few seconds. "I guess you're a little more open in person than you appear to be on the show. You've been smiling a little bit more since I met you, than you do on the show." I studied Zak's face to see if I had offended him. He didn't look at all insulted, he just looked really, really sad… "Zak…" I began quietly, but he cut me off before I could go on. "Why did you try to win this competition? Why did you want to meet Nick, Aaron, and I?" Zak's tone had become cold and rough, and it stung. But I fought back the slight pain I felt and, looking him full in the face, gently replied, "I wanted to win this competition _because_ I wanted to meet you and Nick and Aaron. And I wanted to meet you three because I love what you guys do, and I admire you three for doing what you do. I've always had a love for the paranormal, and I think it's amazing that you've made it your life mission to prove that the paranormal really does exist. And I believe you three over every other paranormal investigation team because you try to debunk some of the weird stuff that you capture – you don't just assume that it's something paranormal – _and_ you were once a self-proclaimed skeptic." Zak opened and closed his mouth three times, but nothing came out. He was completely speechless. Finally he managed to whisper, "Thanks Andrea." I nodded. "You're welcome." There was another minute or so of silence as Zak processed what I'd told him. Finally he said, "I can see why you'd think I'm cold and aloof. I know I can be at times. I guess it's just a defense mechanism I've developed over the years…" "A defense mechanism?" I asked softly, gently brushing the thumb of my right hand across his left knuckles. Zak slowly nodded, looking down at the table. "Defense from what?" I asked softly. Zak hesitated for several seconds. But then he decided to trust me. I could see it in his eyes. He swallowed once and then said, "It's a defense I put up against people who want to hurt me." I could see the pain in Zak's eyes, and my heart went out to him. How anyone could bring themselves to hurt the sweet, gentle, sensitive man in front of me was beyond me. I could see a side of Zak in that moment that I knew not very many people got to see. "Why would anyone want to hurt you?" I asked quietly. "It's mostly been girls." Zak explained in a quiet voice. "I've dated several girls, but most of them didn't want to date me… they wanted to date my fame and my money… And that's broken my heart every time a girl's left me… I almost gave up on love because of it. All I've ever wanted was a girl who would love me for me, and not for my fame and my money…" I gently reached out and touched Zak's soft, warm cheek as my heart broke. I could tell that he was lonely, and I knew how frustrating that could be. And I'd been hurt by guys before. I had only recently gotten out of an emotionally, mentally, and verbally abusive relationship that I had been in for two and-a-half years, and I was having trouble believing in love again… Zak leaned into my touch and even reached up and took my hand in his. "If it makes you feel any better Zak," I said softly. "I've never cared about how much money my crushes have, and fame scares the crap out of me. For one thing, I'm shy and antisocial by nature, and I hate being the center of attention. And for another thing, I've seen what fame can do to people, and I _never_ want to be like that!" Zak smiled at me warmly and I smiled back. "I wondered if that was your attitude about all of it." he said softly. "You're different from what I expected too." "What were you expecting?" I asked. "Most girls are just all over me, telling me how hot and/or sexy they think I am, asking me personal questions, or physically throwing themselves at me – meaning that they try to put their arms around me all the time or try to hold my hand. Weird things like that. When I realized you had a crush on me, I was afraid that you were going to be like that, and I was expecting the first words out of your mouth to be, 'Oh my God I think you're so hot! I love you!' Or something to that affect anyway…" "Were you surprised when I just said hi?" Zak nodded. "Yes I was. I was happy, but surprised." I nodded. "I'm glad you were happy." "Thanks." Zak said softly. I nodded again, and then another silence fell. It wasn't an awkward silence, though. Zak and I both felt like there wasn't much else to say right at that moment because we both understood each other. At that moment, our waitress came back with our dinners. She set them down on the table in front of us and then went away – back to the kitchen, I assumed. I had just taken my first bite when Zak looked at me from across the table with a small smile on his face and said, "You know, Andrea, you truly aren't like any other girl I've ever met. You've completely broken through my armor… and I think I'm developing a crush on you…" I was so happy that I couldn't speak. I was also in a minor state of shock. The only response I could give him was to reach out, grab his hand, and not let go.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It was only seven o'clock by the time we left Olive Garden, but we still decided to go back to the hotel, in case Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay started to worry about us. The car ride back to the hotel was quiet. I was still trying to process everything Zak had told me (especially the part about him maybe having a crush on me), and I was also trying to figure out how to tell him that I had a crush on him too without sounding like all the other fangirls that drove him crazy. Zak didn't say a word to me after we left the restaurant, but on the drive back to the Marriot he _did_ hold onto my right hand… I parked my car back in the parking lot, next to the guys' van, and we went into the hotel side-by-side. As we got onto the elevator, Zak got a text from Nick. "The guys are watching reruns tonight." he said as put his phone back in his pocket. It was Friday night, so I knew he was taking about _Ghost Adventures_. "Are you gonna watch with them?" I asked, looking up at his face. Zak shrugged. "Maybe. Although, if you wanted to watch with me, I certainly wouldn't complain…" He looked at me with puppy dog eyes, and I couldn't refuse him (especially since I wanted to spend more time with him too). "Alright." I said, chuckling. "You can watch with me. I want to watch it with you too!" Zak grinned at me as we got off the elevator and I led the way to my room. I unlocked my room, opened the door, let Zak go in ahead of me, and then closed the door behind us. I set my keys down on the bedside table, set my hoody down on top of my suitcase, and then sat down on the edge of my bed, kicking off my shoes. Zak grabbed the TV remote before kicking off his shoes and flopping down on the bed next to me. He sent Nick one last text, telling him that he was going to watch the show with me, and then he turned off his phone and put it on the floor with his shoes. He turned on the TV, changing the channel to the Travel Channel just as the first episode of the night was beginning. Both of us inhaled sharply as we realized that the first episode of the night was "Bobby Mackey's Music World"… I shivered as the "This program contains material that may be unsuitable for some viewers" warning flashed up on the screen, before cutting to Zak's introduction before the show. Zak put his arms around me and held me close to him as the episode started. I could feel how tense he was. I was tense too. My gut instinct told me it was no coincidence that the first episode from Bobby Mackey's was being reshown the night before Zak, Nick, Aaron, Billy, Jay, and I were due to investigate Bobby Mackey's again… Neither Zak nor I said a word for the next half-hour. We just laid there on my bed together, holding each other, transfixed on what was happening in the episode. When there was finally a commercial break, Zak said, "I suddenly have a really bad feeling about tomorrow night…" I nodded and whispered, "So do I…" "Do you think it's a sign?" Zak turned his head and looked at me, and I could tell he was a little worried. "Maybe." I looked back at Zak, trying to mask the sudden fear I felt. Zak hugged me tighter, resting my head against his heart and pressing my left side against his chest and stomach. I could hear the steady beating of his heart, and that relaxed me considerably. I was able to stay awake for the next half-hour, and I was able to watch the rest of the episode, but after that I started getting sleepy. The second episode was "Return to Bobby Mackey's" (which freaked us out even more), but I didn't stay awake for all of it. About fifteen minutes into the episode, I fell asleep in Zak's arms, his heartbeat successfully lulling me to sleep. The last thing I remembered before slipping into unconsciousness was Zak kissing my forehead gently and then whispering in my ear, "It's okay Andrea. Go to sleep. I'll be here in the morning when you wake up."… I woke up at six o'clock the next morning, and it took me a minute to remember where I was. But then the events of the previous night came rushing back to me… "Oh my God!" I whispered as I realized that Zak, true to his word, was lying on the bed beside me. He was shirtless, and his usually neat hair was messy. The sun was shining in through the window, touching Zak's face and the top of his back, making him look almost God-like. I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday, so I quietly got out of bed and put on my pajamas (pink and black checked pajama pants and an orange and purple tie-dyed t-shirt that I had made in honor of my best friend a few weeks before [her favorite colors had been orange and purple, _and_ orange was the color of the Leukemia ribbon, which is what she had died from]). Then I grabbed my diary out of my backpack, grabbed a black ink pen and my phone out of my purse, and got back into bed beside Zak. I turned my phone on and I instantly received four text messages. The first one was from Meghan, telling me that her mother said hi. The second and third ones were from my mom. My mom had texted me the night before, asking me if I had gotten to Wilder safely and if I had met Zak yet (she knew that I had a major crush on him), and then she had texted me that morning wanting to know why I hadn't answered her yet. And the third text was from my friend Abbey. She had texted me that morning, wanting to know everything about meeting the guys, as well as Bobby and Karl. I texted Meghan first, telling her to tell her mom hi for me and that I was hoping to see her later that day. Then I sent my mom a brief text telling her that I was fine and that all of the guys were very sweet (but especially Zak). And then I answered Abbey's text. Abbey's my best friend, and so I told her _everything_ that had happened the day before, and where I was now. I sent her about fifteen texts, telling her everything, and she sent back, "OH MY GOD! *Is at a loss for words*" She knew, like all of my friends knew, how much I loved Zak. As we continued talking, I could tell that she was both happy for me and also slightly jealous that I was getting to spend so much time with the guys. She asked me a lot of questions about Aaron (he was her favorite of the guys), and I told her everything that had happened. She was really excited and asked me a ton of more questions, and we both fangirled together. It was fun. Abbey was particularly excited about the fact that Zak might have a crush on me (I was too), and she was frustrated that I hadn't told Zak how I felt about him yet. I didn't tell her about the conversation that Zak and I had had the night before, I felt like that was too personal to share, but I _did_ tell her that I didn't want Zak to think I was crazy, so I was going to wait until I knew him better to tell him how I felt. She and I talked for a good hour and-a-half, and then she told me that she and her boyfriend were going to have breakfast together and she had to go. We told each other goodbye, and then she told me to have fun with the guys today and tonight (but especially Zak). I told her I would, and then we stopped taking. I put my phone back on my bedside table, and then I curled up next to Zak and fell back asleep with him in my arms.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

I woke up two hours later to gentle fingers running through my long, soft hair… I could feel Zak's warm, strong body next to mine, and I snuggled closer to him, not quite ready to fully wake up. "Good morning Andrea." Zak said softly, wrapping his arms tighter around me and holding me close to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and upper back, letting my fingers gently glide along his beautiful, soft, tan skin. I decided then and there that his voice in the morning was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. It was soft and low and very sweet. I thought I could drown myself in it and be perfectly content… "Good morning Zak." I said softly, burying my head in his neck. My heart was pounding in my chest as we lay there together. I couldn't believe that Zak was awake, shirtless, in my bed, and cuddling me! It was like a dream come true! I knew for a fact that there were hundreds of girls out there who would _kill_ to be where I was right now. And they were all those crazy fangirls that Zak had talked about the night before… His fingers lightly brushed along the back of my neck, making me shiver involuntarily. I felt Zak smirk against my hair as he rubbed gentle circles against my skin. "You're so soft." he whispered, burying his face in my hair. "Thanks." I whispered back as he continued massaging my neck. We were silent for several seconds, and then Zak pulled back from me a little and took my face in his warm, strong hands. I looked at him and smiled, and he grinned back at me. But then he got a serious look on his face and he swallowed nervously. "What's wrong?" I asked. Zak didn't answer. He just shook his head. I gave him a puzzled look. "Zak what's – " He cut me off when his lips crashed into mine… I could barely breathe. He had taken me completely by surprise, and I couldn't think straight. After a few seconds, though, I gave up on thinking and just decided to act. I kissed Zak back as passionately as I could, molding my lips to his. We kissed for about a minute straight, and then we both pulled away, gasping slightly. I had been kissed by two boys already in my life, but Zak's kiss was nothing like I had ever experienced before. It was soft and gentle, but also warm and fierce and passionate. It felt like Heaven! Zak gentle stroked my cheek and held me close to him. "That was amazing." he whispered. "I know." I whispered back. "I know." I looked up at Zak, and the next thing I knew he was kissing me. Our second kiss was a lot gentler than the first one, and it lasted a little bit longer. Zak was a really good kisser! He took my breath away and nearly rendered me senseless. I saw stars every time he kissed me, and it was completely and utterly beautiful. When we pulled away again, he looked at me and said, "I'm sorry if I stepped out of line by kissing you. But I really do think I have a crush on you, and I couldn't think of a better way of telling you. In fact… I think I love you…" I didn't say anything for several seconds. I was to happy and shocked to speak. _Zak was in love with me! _It was an amazing concept, and one that I could barely wrap my head around. The idea of Zak truly loving me almost made me cry. In a choked up voice I asked, "Do you believe in first sight?" Zak slowly nodded as he hugged me close. "I'm starting to." he whispered in my ear. "Do _you_ believe in love at first sight?" I nodded against his neck. "I do." I whispered. "I always have." Zak hugged me tightly and I hugged him back. I gently ran my fingers through his soft, black hair, and he generously returned the favor. "Do we have to get up at any particular time?" I asked softly, burying my head in the warm skin of his neck and closing my eyes. Zak shook his head. "We have to be at Bobby's at eight so we can start getting set up before sundown, but, no, other than that we don't have to get up at any particular time." I nodded. "What do you guys usually do the day of the lockdown?" Zak shrugged. "It kind of depends. Generally we each do our own thing, although I'm sure the guys will want to spend some more time with you before the lockdown." I nodded again. I was still feeling sleepy – I blamed it on Zak being so warm and his breathing being so calm and relaxing – and all I wanted to do was fall back asleep in his arms. Zak was still playing with my hair, and he had started planting soft, gentle kisses all over my neck, ears, and face. I had never been kissed like this before, and it made me both nervous and excited. I wanted to kiss him back, but I was too nervous. But Zak knew that I was enjoying it because he hadn't stopped kissing me, and because I kept snuggling closer and closer to him as he continued kissing me. "You're so beautiful Andrea!" he whispered. "So, so beautiful!" I felt myself blushing as happiness welled up inside of me and fresh tears filled my eyes. Not many guys had ever called me beautiful before, and I found it amazing that a guy I had just met thought I was beautiful and felt comfortable enough to tell me so. I closed my eyes and relaxed completely in Zak's arms. I felt like I was floating on a soft, beautiful, peaceful cloud, and Zak was the only person with me. We were on top of the world, where no one else could reach us. We were completely alone together, where no one and nothing could ever touch us… The peaceful moment was shattered when Zak's phone started ringing. "Shit." he muttered as he gave me one last, lingering kiss before letting go of me, sitting up, and reaching for his phone. It was Aaron that was calling. Zak answered the phone and said, "Hello?" I could Aaron on the other end, and I couldn't help but overhear the guys' conversation. "Dude where are you?" he asked. "Nick and I have been looking all over for you!" "I stayed the night with Andrea last night." That same cute blush from the night before crept up Zak's cheeks as he said that, and I just smiled at him, trying hard not to start giggling. "And that's where I am now." Zak continued. "I'm still in Andrea's room." "You stayed the night with her!?" Zak rolled his eyes, and I had to bury my head in a pillow to muffle my giggles. "Yes I stayed the night with her Aaron. We were both pretty freaked out after the episodes last night, and then she fell asleep in my arms. I promised her I'd stay with her so she wouldn't have to be alone and scared when she woke up. _Nothing happened!_" Aaron was suddenly on the defensive, although I could hear the amusement in his voice, and I could also hear Nick laughing in the background. "Okay, Zak, okay!" Aaron said. "We believe you! We promise!" Zak sighed as Aaron finally broke into full-blown laughter. "You guys are amazing friends." Zak said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "You really are." "You know you love us anyway Zak." Nick said. Zak just shrugged. "I guess." I could tell he was trying not to smiled, and I knew Nick and Aaron could hear that in his voice. "Seriously, though," Aaron said. "we've been looking for you. We're hungry and ready for breakfast. Jay and Billy are sleeping in, and Andrea can join us if she wants to." "Just for the record," Nick piped up. "_Aaron_ is hungry. After all the pizza we ate last night, I could be fine until lunch." Zak and I both busted out laughing. "Alright guys we'll meet you in the lobby in a few minutes. And then we can decide from there what we're going to do for breakfast." "That sounds awesome!" Aaron said, making Zak and I both start laughing again. "Alright. Bye." Zak said. "Bye." Aaron replied, and then both guys hung up. Zak set his phone back down on the floor, turned back to me, and took me in his arms again. "I'm sorry Andrea. Believe me, I _did_ want to spend the whole day like that." I kiss him gently and said, "It's okay Zak. Let's go have some breakfast!" Zak smiled at me and kissed me again softly before sliding out of the bed. His shirt was lying on the floor with his shoes, and he slipped it on over his head. I shamelessly stared at his arms and his back as he put his t-shirt on, fully appreciating how gorgeous he was. "Zak?" I asked quietly. He turned around, looked at me, and said, "Yeah?" "Sometime before tomorrow, will you tell me the stories behind you tattoos?" Zak grinned at me. "Sure. I'll tell you about them." "Cool!" I said softly. "However," Zak continued. "you should know that there's one of my tattoos that's extremely personal and only a handful of people know the story behind." "Which one?" I asked quietly. Zak turned his left arm over and pointed at the tattoo on the inside of his wrist. "This is Dracula's cross." Zak explained. "It's a representation of my love and obsession for Dracula, and of my darker side. Before you freak, though, you should know that I _am_ Christian and I _don't_ worship the Devil!" I chuckled softly. "No worries Zak. You've never struck me as being the Devil-worshipping type. And everybody has a dark side. We all just express it differently." Zak chuckled and said, "Thanks for understanding Andrea." I nodded, and then grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt out of my suitcase. "I'll be out in a couple minutes." I said, before ducking into the bathroom to get dressed. In the bathroom, I brushed my hair and teeth, put on deodorant, and then got dressed. Then, gathering up my pajamas in a bundle, I went back out to my room. I put my pajamas in my suitcase and then turned around to face Zak. He chuckled and said, "I like your shirt." I looked down at my shirt and blushed deeply. It was another t-shirt that was part of a set that my friends and I had made. Eleanor, Caroline, Meghan, Martha, and I had all made shirts with Zak's picture on the front, and then a picture of the Demonic-looking tattoo on the back. We were proud of our shirts. "I'm glad you like it." I said quietly, grinning back at Zak as I put on my tennis shoes. Then I grabbed my purse out of my suitcase, put my prescription sunglasses, room key, and car keys in my purse, and said, "You ready?" Zak nodded. "Let's go!" We left my room and then took the elevator down to the lobby. When we got off the elevator, to my surprise and delight, Zak took hold of my right hand. We were holding hands when we went to meet Nick and Aaron, who were sitting on couches in a little alcove just inside the front door. Aaron's jaw dropped when he saw Zak and I, and he elbowed Nick in the ribs, who raised his eyebrows when he looked at us. They stood up and walked over to us, and Aaron said, "So what are we doing for breakfast?" Zak and I both shrugged. "I don't know." I said. "What do you two want to do?" Nick shrugged. "I'm not feeling very hungry, to be honest with you." He turned to look at Aaron. "I guess that leaves it up to you Aaron." Aaron grinned. "Anybody up for I-Hop again?" Aaron looked at us all with puppy-dog eyes, and we all busted out laughing. "Alright Aaron." Nick said. "Let's go to I-Hop!" Zak said. "We can take my car," I chimed in, pulling out my car keys. "since it's only the four of us." "Cool." Aaron grinned at me and I grinned back, and then we all went out to the parking lot. I unlocked my car, and Nick and Aaron climbed into the back seat. Zak opened my door for me again, before going around the car and climbing into the front passenger seat. I saw Nick and Aaron exchange smirks in my rearview mirror, but I pretended not to notice. Once Zak was in and we were all buckled up, I put on my sunglasses and drove out of the parking lot. As I drove across town Nick asked, "So what's the game plan for today Zak? Are we all just doing our own thing until it's time for us to head to Bobby's, or are we all gonna hang out?" Zak shrugged. He had combed his hair before we left the hotel, and he had put on his sunglasses when we'd gotten in the car. He looked even more beautiful than he had yesterday, although not even half as beautiful as he had looked when I'd woken up beside him that morning. "I don't know bro. What do you guys wanna do?" Nick and Aaron looked at each other and shrugged. "I don't know." Nick said. "There's really not much to do in Wilder, to be honest." Aaron chimed in. "We could play poker in my room." I piped up, shrugging my shoulders casually. Complete and utter silence filled the car as the three guys all stared at me. I looked at them in my rearview mirror and burst out laughing. All three of them were looking at me in shock and horror. Finally Zak said, "You know how to play poker!?" I shook my head, still laughing. "No, I don't. Nor do I have any desire to learn. I just wanted to see how you all would react!" I smirked at them, and Aaron and Nick both shook their heads, trying hard not laugh. "Well," Zak said. "we're learning a lot about Andrea today." I chuckled. "Yes, you are!" I grinned at Zak, and he grinned back at me. We were somewhat silent for the rest of the drive, and Zak held onto my hand for the entire time. When we got to I-Hop I parked my car in the parking lot and then turned to Aaron and said, "Alright Aaron, welcome home!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

We got a table together near the back of the restaurant, away from all of the prying eyes of the other customers. We ordered our drinks and our food, and then the conversation picked up again. "So how do you guys know how to play poker?" I asked, looking at the three of them. "Of course!" Zak said. "Aaron and I live in Vegas, and Nick spends quite a bit of time there with us!" "Touché." I replied with a grin. "Playing poker's actually pretty fun." Aaron said. "We don't play it a lot, but we do play it sometimes." "And actually," Nick added. "I play far less poker than they do, and I'm not in Vegas as much as they'd let you believe. Usually, whenever we're not on the road and shooting the show, I'm at home in New Hampshire or Massachusetts with my wife, Veronique, and our two-year-old daughter, Annabelle." I nodded and smiled. I'd seen pictures of Annabelle before, and she was beyond adorable. "I have friends back home, Nick, that are fans of yours, and they think that Annabelle's the most adorable thing they've ever seen. Just so you know." Nick smiled. "Tell your friends thank you for me. Roni and I think she's pretty adorable too." "And of course you're not _at all_ biased because she's your daughter!" Zak threw out, giving Nick a teasing look. "Of course not." Nick replied, taking a drink of his orange juice. We all laughed at that, and then I said, "It's okay Nick. As a father, you're allowed to be biased when it comes to your children." "Thank you Andrea!" Nick said. "You're welcome." "So are you still planning on coming tonight, or has Zak scared you off?" Aaron grinned at me over the rim of his coffee cup. "What makes you think I would scare her off?" Zak asked. "Because, to a certain extent, you're kind of a scary dude." "How am I scary?" "That is kind of a good question." Nick broke in. "I don't think Zak's scary." "Then what word would _you_ use?" Aaron asked. "Intimidating." Aaron started laughing as Zak looked at Nick and asked, "How am I intimidating?" I decided to break up the banter by looking at Zak and saying, "You hunt Demons for a living. And when you find one, you provoke it until it physically attacks you. Tell me how that's _not _intimidating." There was a moment of complete silence, and then Nick and Aaron both busted out laughing while Zak just shrugged. "It's the best way to get evidence." he said. He took a drink of water as I sipped my coffee. Aaron and Nick had been trying not to stare at us since we'd come in, but they were both failing miserably. Zak and I were sitting side-by-side, holding hands under the table, and Nick and Aaron were sitting across from us. I think they knew that we were holding hands, and I think they wanted to ask us what exactly had happened the night before and that morning, but they didn't know how to ask us without making things awkward. Zak's fingers were gently brushing over my knuckles, and I was holding our intertwined hands on my right knee. He hadn't tried touching my knee or anything, like I half-hoped he would. He seemed to be perfectly content with just holding my hand. Not that I would complain. Even just holding his hand was a dream come true! Zak's hands were rough but warm, and it was awesome to get to hold onto them. We had been sitting there in silence for several minutes, and then Aaron opened his mouth and asked, "What happened with you two last night? And this morning?" An awkward silence fell over the four of us as Nick and Aaron stared at Zak and I. Zak and I looked at each other, trying to decide how much we should, and were going to, tell them. Zak shrugged and I shrugged back at him. "Zak asked me to go to dinner with him last night." I said, looking back at Nick and Aaron. "We went to Olive Garden and talked for most of the night, and then we went back to the hotel and watched _Ghost Adventures_ together until I fell asleep in Zak's arms at like 9:15. Nothing really extraordinary happened." "And what about this morning?" Nick asked. Zak and I exchanged glances again, and we both blushed and had to look away from each other. Aaron and Nick's mouths fell open and they gaped at us. They were both completely speechless. Neither of them said anything for about two minutes, and Zak and I avoided each other's eyes, both of us thinking about the kisses we'd shared. Finally Nick asked – in a somewhat nervous tone – "You two didn't like…" He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't _have_ to. Zak and I both knew what was going through his head, and we knew the same thing was going through Aaron's mind as well. Zak and I looked firmly at Nick and Aaron, and Zak said, "We did _not_ have sex this morning. So you two can just get that idea out of your heads right now." Nick and Aaron both sheepishly nodded. "So what _did_ happen this morning you two?" Aaron asked. Zak and I looked at each other again, and we silently and mutually decided to tell them everything… "We cuddled in my bed until you called." I said quietly. "And we kissed… Several times…" Zak finished just as quietly, blushing again. Another silence fell over the table as Nick and Aaron processed this information. Finally Nick and Aaron looked at each other, looked back at us, and then Aaron asked, "So are you two like…" He was struggling for the right word, but Nick saved him by saying, "Dating?" Zak and I turned our heads towards each other, neither of us quite sure how to answer that question. Sure we had gone to dinner the night before, had an extremely intimate conversation, fallen asleep in each other's arms watching our favorite TV show, and then woken up and pretty much had a make out session, but did that really mean we were _dating_? We _had_ admitted that we loved each other, but that didn't mean we were officially together… did it? And there was also the matter of age difference between us. We were almost twenty years apart, and I was only sixteen. Wasn't it illegal for someone over eighteen to date a minor? Or was that just if they were having sex? Those questions were running around simultaneously in my head as I looked at Zak, and I could tell that he was struggling with the same questions. Finally Zak said, "I don't know. We haven't really discussed it." I nodded and said, "Zak's right." Nick and Aaron both nodded. They seemed content with that answer, but Zak and I weren't. We knew that we had only just met, but did that really matter when you were talking about love? But could a relationship like that really work between us, even if the age difference didn't matter? He was constantly traveling and working, and I was still going to High School in the middle of Kansas. He and I would probably never see each other again after tomorrow morning. I was going home tomorrow morning after breakfast, and Zak would be headed off on his next adventure. Could any relationship like that between us survive the distance? And what about my parents? What about the fans? I _knew_ that my parents would _not_ be okay with me dating a thirty-six year old man, and I was also sure that the rest of the _Ghost Adventures_ fans – maybe even my friends too – would look down on Zak, and probably look at me as some sort of slut or something. Neither of those things would be good to have happen. I looked at Zak one last time, but he didn't look at me. Instead, he very gently disentangled his hand from mine… I reached out for his hand as he pulled away, but I didn't force him to keep holding my hand, even though his rejection hurt… Nick, Aaron, and Zak struck up a conversation about some of their scariest encounters not long after that, but I just sat there for the rest of the time, fighting back tears and wishing that things could be different between Zak and I… I was silent for the rest of the meal, which the guys eventually noticed. But they didn't know what to say. After we'd paid the bill and gotten back in my car, I said, "So what do you guys want to do?" I looked first at Zak, and then at Nick and Aaron. "We should probably go back to the hotel," Nick said. "and see if Billy or Jay want to do anything." "Yeah." Zak said. Aaron nodded. "Okay." I said. We drove back to the hotel in silence. Nick, Aaron, and I got out of my car and were about to go back into the hotel when Zak said, "Andrea can we go for a walk? I want to talk to you." I slowly nodded, and Aaron said, "We're gonna go see what Billy and Jay are up to. Just text us when we're ready to make more plans for today." Zak nodded. "Alright." Aaron and Nick went back into the hotel, and Zak motioned for me to follow him. We walked back down the street side-by-side. Neither of us said a word to each other for the first couple of minutes. Zak wouldn't even look at me. He just stared straight ahead, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. I couldn't stop staring at his face. I felt so sad. I fought back tears as I stared at him. He didn't look angry, or even really sad. I understood his rejection, but it still hurt. I should have known that Zak wouldn't really want to be with me like that. I should have known better. I was probably nothing more than a kid to him. I should have known better. But it still hurt… Especially after that morning… And now I was wondering what on Earth he wanted to talk to me about? Why couldn't he just let my heart break in peace? Why make me feel worse than I already did? We walked to the corner beyond the hotel, and Zak finally turned and looked at me. His blue eyes were so forlorn and sad that it broke my heart. The tears that I had been fighting back broke free and began to slowly roll down my face. Zak wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so sorry Andrea!" he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry!" I couldn't speak. My emotions were too complex to put into words at that point. I just clung to Zak and cried into his chest. It took me a minute to calm down, and then I looked up and into Zak's eyes and asked, "Did you mean it when you said that you loved me?" Zak nodded and gently cupped my left cheek. "Yes, Andrea, I meant it." he said quietly. "I _do_ love you, and I want to be with you!" "But what about the show? Your fans? My friends? My family? The guys? Your family? There's so many things standing in our way!" I started to cry all over again, and Zak tenderly wiped away my tears as he said, "I know there's a lot of obstacles, and I know they're important obstacles. But it doesn't matter. Gender, age, and race mean _nothing_ when it comes to love! I've been in long distance relationships before – I'm no stranger to them – and I think we could make it work." "Would you wait for me?" I asked softly. "Would you wait another year and-a-half for me to turn eighteen, and then another four months for me to graduate from High School?" Zak nodded. "I would. I would wait for you as long as I have to." I smiled at Zak through my tears and hugged him tightly. He hugged me back very tightly, lacing his fingers through my hair and gently kissing the top of my head. We were silent for a few seconds, and then Zak asked quietly, "Would you wait for me? I'll try to communicate with you as much as I can, but I'm on the road a lot, and I won't be able to talk to you while I'm investigating. But I'll talk to you as much as I can! I promise!" I held on to Zak tightly. "I'll wait for you Zak. I will. And who knows? Maybe I'll come join you after I graduate." I grinned up at Zak and he chuckled softly. "That'd be cool!" he said. I kissed his lips gently and said, "I love you Zak." Zak kissed me back and whispered, "I love you too Andrea." When we pulled away, I gently took hold of Zak's hand and said, "Come on. Let's head back to the hotel. We need to grab the guys and make some plans!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Zak and I met Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay in the dining room of the hotel, where Billy and Jay were finishing their breakfast. We sat and talked for a while, and we all decided that we would all do our own thing until lunch, and then we'd meet up somewhere for lunch and put the final touches on our plans for the night, before going to Bobby Mackey's. So Aaron and Nick decided to go for a walk around town, Billy and Jay took the guys' van and went to look at video games, and Zak and I went back up to my room. We had about three and-a-half hours before until lunch (we decided to eat lunch at 2:30, since we'd all had a late breakfast), so Zak and I decided to fire up my laptop and watch a few episodes of _Ghost Adventures_. Zak let me pick which ones we watched. We had time for about five episodes, so I picked some of my favorites: _Eastern State Penitentiary_, _Lizzie Borden House_, _Gettysburg_, _Linda Vista_, and _Market Street Cinema_. "That's an interesting selection Andrea!" Zak said as I created a playlist on You Tube. "Yeah I know." I replied. "These are some of my favorite episodes, though." Zak nodded and wrapped his arms more firmly around me. We were sitting on my bed, and I was sitting on Zak's lap. We were cuddling, and he was kissing my hair and playing with it. I was holding his hand, perfectly relaxed against his chest. I loved how well our bodies fit together like this. It was like we were made for each other… "So have you visited any of the places where we've investigated?" Zak asked as the first episode started, dragging me out of my thoughts. I nodded. "Yeah. In fact, my friends and I went to Eastern State. My family was on our way home from New York, and my mom and I wanted to stop in Philadelphia and spend a day. So I arranged for the girls to meet us there, and we all went on a guided tour of the prison. It was really fascinating, and we all really enjoyed ourselves!" "Did you guys go to Death Row and Al Capone's Cell and the Mad Chair?" I grinned and nodded. "Of course! We made sure we got to see those places specifically, and I got plenty of pictures too. And in fact, my friend Penelope – she's a fan of Aaron who I think you guys met while you were there – works there as a tour guide. It's pretty cool!" "I remember Penelope. She told us a lot about her experiences there, although she requested not to be filmed. Did any of you experience anything while you were there?" "Um… Nothing in particular. The only thing out of the ordinary that I felt was that, when we were in the cellblocks, I sometimes felt very claustrophobic. And that rarely happens to me. And I think all of my friends and I – except for Penelope – felt somewhat claustrophobic when we went into one of the cells. But, no, we didn't experience anything paranormal." "Aside from what she's told us, has Penelope had any other experiences at Eastern State? I mean, major things that she talks about a lot?" I shook my head. "No. When you guys interviewed her there the first time, she told you all of the major things. She's had similar things happen to her, and she has similar things happen to her there every day, but nothing too major." "Well, she obviously believes in ghosts and the paranormal. What about your other friends? Do they believe in ghosts too?" I nodded. "Yeah. Well, all of the ones who watch _Ghost Adventures_ do. And my friend, Madison – who I called 'Madi' – did…" "What do you mean she 'did'?" Zak asked. "She doesn't anymore?" I didn't say anything for several seconds. I knew what I needed to say, but I didn't know how to say it. Talking about Madi was so hard for me because I still missed her so much… But finally I managed to whisper, "Madi, as far as I know, believe in ghosts up until the very end of her life. She was a big fan of your show too. She died last April… She had had Leukemia for ten months…" Tears filled my eyes when I talked about Madi's death, as they always did. Zak was silent for about a minute. I don't think he quite knew what to say. But finally he hugged me tightly and said, "I'm sorry Andrea. I'm so, so sorry…" I cuddled close to Zak and cried into his chest. "She died on April nineteenth." I whispered. "She was only sixteen years old. She was the one who's dad looks like Billy…" Zak reached over and paused the episode, and then he gently stroked my hair as I cried. "I'm sorry Andrea." he whispered over and over. "I'm so, so sorry." It took me a couple of minutes to calm down again, but, once I had, I gave Zak a big hug and he hugged me back tightly. "Thanks Zak." I whispered, giving him a gentle kiss. He kissed me back and said, "No problem." Zak held me close as he hit play and started the episode again. "So you believe in ghosts too?" he asked, looking at me as he gently played with my hair. I nodded. "I do. I always have. And I've had about four encounters with the paranormal in the past month or so." "Really!?" Zak asked, his eyes lighting up with childlike excitement. I slowly nodded. "Yes." I said quietly. "I've been to Madi's grave four times already, and every time I've been there I've felt her presence and heard her voice in the back of my head telling me various things… I definitely believe in the paranormal now, because of her…" Zak and I were both quiet for a couple of minutes, just watching the episode on my laptop. Finally Zak said, "Madi still loves you and cares about you. And she's still reaching out to you from beyond the grave." I nodded, too choked up to speak. I felt an overwhelming sense of loss as I sat there on my bed with Zak, thinking about Madi and how much I missed her. Zak could see the tears forming in my eyes, and he hugged me close to him, completely enveloping me in his warm, strong embrace. I held onto him as I let go and let wave after wave of heart-wrenching grief wash over me. I sobbed into his chest, wetting his black t-shirt with my tears. Zak held on to me tightly, just holding me and stroking my hair. _Eastern State Penitentiary_ finished as we laid there, and the playlist moved straight to _Lizzie Borden House_. Zak wiped away my tears as they fell. I felt safe in his arms, like I could completely open up to him and grieve over the loss of my best friend without being afraid of him judging me. Zak was such a good person. As I laid there beside him, my head against his heart and my tears flowing freely, I remembered why I had developed a crush on Zak in the first place. I'd seen almost every episode of _Ghost Adventures_, I'd watched countless interviews with Zak, and I'd read other fans' accounts of meeting Zak, and I'd always noticed one thing about him: he was kind to everyone he met and he was a real sweetheart. He hated people – and entities – that were cruel to people just because they could be. That was why he provoked all of the mean and Demonic entities that he encountered. He was sensitive to other people's emotions, and he was gentle with the people they interviewed. Several of the people that they interviewed for their lockdowns had emotional connections to the buildings they investigated, or to the spirits that resided in those buildings (or sometimes both). And sometimes those people had emotional moments when they were being interviewed, and they would break down and cry. Whenever the guys encountered someone who broke down like that – especially if it was a woman – Zak would do everything he could to comfort her. He was definitely a Ladies' Man, in the sense that he cared about all women and was a gentleman to them. He was like that with the spirits he encountered too. The kind, innocent ones anyway. But especially the ones that were sad, scared, or didn't know that they had passed on. Zak was kind and sensitive to people in general. And that was the main reason that I loved him so much. His sensitivity was definitely showing through right now, and it had been showing since the moment I'd turned around in the parking lot at Bobby Mackey's and came face-to-face with him for the first time. It took me several minutes to calm down again, but, once I had, I went quiet in Zak's arms. "Are you okay?" he asked gently, breaking through my thoughts. I nodded and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I'm fine. I still miss her, but I'm okay." Zak nodded and hugged me closer to his chest. I rested my head against the warm, soft skin of his neck, and I could feel the pulse in his neck. I closed my eyes and relaxed against his chest, feeling very sleepy. "Are you gonna take a nap, love?" Zak asked gently, chuckling softly. I smiled and shrugged. "Maybe. Why?" Zak shrugged. "You just look sleepy." "I am." Zak gently kissed the top of my head and said, "Well, if you _do_ fall asleep, you should know that you'll fall asleep in my arms, and you'll wake up in my arms." I smiled and softly kissed his neck. "That's comforting Zak." I said quietly. "It really is." "I'm glad." Zak whispered. We were quiet for several seconds, and then Zak whispered, "Before last night, had you ever fallen asleep in a guy's arms before?" I shook my head. "No. You were the first." I smiled at Zak and he smiled back at me. "I'm glad I was the first." he whispered, kissing me softly. "Me too." I whispered back. Zak gently stroked my face and hair and held me close to him. My head was resting against his left shoulder, and I was reaching up to run my fingers through his hair. His blue eyes were bright as he looked down at me. "Your eyes are really pretty." I said quietly. Zak smiled at me and said, "Your eyes are really pretty too. I love your eyes!" "I love people's eyes in general. Not only do I think they're beautiful, but I think looking at someone's eyes can tell a lot about them." "'The eyes are the windows to the soul.'" Zak quoted. I nodded. "Exactly." Zak wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and held me as close to him as he could. I put my arms around his neck and held onto him. "You're so warm Zak." I whispered, closing my eyes and burying my head in his neck. "And you're soft." Zak whispered back, pulling my hair back over my right shoulder, exposing my neck. I let out a small gasp when he moved in and started kissing my neck. I'd always enjoyed having my neck kissed, and this felt wonderful! Zak knew just where to kiss me to make it feel good. He let his lips stay right below my ear, where I was the most sensitive. He nudged the top of my ear with his nose, and his hot breath felt like Heaven against my skin. He started rubbing my back as he continued kissing me, and I ran my fingers over and over through his hair. "I love you." he whispered. "I love you." "I love you too Zak." I whispered back. "I love you so much." Zak gave me one last kiss before pulling away and looking ne full in the face. "No matter what happens tonight," he whispered. "I want you to know that I love you, and nothing on Earth, in Heaven… or in Hell… is _ever_ going to change that!" I shivered slightly, knowing he was talking about whatever we would face at Bobby Mackey's that night. But then I kissed him passionately and said, "I feel the exact same way." I believed that I loved Zak, and I believed that Zak loved me, and I somehow knew, although I didn't know how I knew, that our love would be put to the ultimate test that night.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

At 2:30 Zak and I met Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay in the lobby of the hotel, so we could decide what we wanted to do for lunch. "So," Aaron asked, once we were all together. "what do we want to do?" "My only request," Nick replied. "is that we do not do I-Hop again!" "Or Olive Garden." Zak interjected. I nodded in agreement with Zak, and Billy and Jay nodded in agreement with Nick. "So where do we want to go that not I-Hop or Olive Garden?" Aaron asked again. We all shrugged and then started laughing. "Well that's awesome." Jay threw out between laughs. "Yeah." Billy replied. "We're all hungry, but none of us know where we want to eat." Zak pulled his phone out of his pocket and said, "Hold on." He got into Google and started searching for restaurants in Wilder. After about two minutes he said, "What about Famous Dave's? Anyone up for barbeque?" "That sounds _awesome_!" Aaron said, his face lighting up with child-like enthusiasm. Nick and Zak both started laughing, and I soon joined in. "The people have spoken!" Jay said, leading the way out to the parking lot. "You mean _Aaron_ has spoken!" I grinned at Aaron, and he laughed and pulled me in for a bear hug. When he released me, I hugged him back and continued, "And Aaron has good taste!" Aaron bowed, making the rest of us laugh even more. "Thank you." he said. "Thank you very much." Once we had gotten in the van (Zak, Nick, and Aaron sat up front, and I sat in the back with Billy and Jay), Billy said, "Aaron usually _does_ have good taste when it comes to food." "Well of course he does." Zak said as he maneuvered his way out of the parking lot. "He eats like a pig." Aaron didn't even try to defend himself as the rest of us continued laughing. He just shrugged and said, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with that." "No there's not, Aaron." I replied, gently patting him on the shoulder. "All guys eat like pigs. It's okay." Five pairs of eyes glared at me as I smirked slightly in amusement and settled back in my seat. "Being a bit sexist back there, aren't we darling?" Zak said, looking at me in the rearview mirror. I chuckled softly. "Perhaps, but you can't deny that I'm right." "Of course we can. You're wrong. Not all guys eat like pigs. Just most of them." Zak's last comment set off another round of laughter. Once the laughter had died down again, Billy and Jay looked at Zak with raised eyebrows. Billy asked, "'Darling'?" Zak hesitated for about two seconds, but then he firmly nodded. "So you two are making it official then?" Nick asked as he and Aaron looked back and forth between Zak and I. I leaned forward and gently wrapped my arms around Zak's neck. Zak gently kissed my arm before turning his attention back to the road. "Yes we're making it official." I said softly, smiling. "We're dating." Zak finished. Billy and Jay both gasped, but Nick and Aaron just nodded, trying to hide their smiles. "You're…" Billy started. "…dating!?" Jay finished. Zak and I both nodded. "Yes, we are." "Well that's…" Billy began. "…unexpected…" Jay finished. Aaron and Nick turned and looked at them. "What do you mean 'unexpected'?" Nick asked. "Did you two not see them digging on each other's at Bobby's yesterday?" Aaron asked, trying hard not to start laughing. Billy and Jay both nodded. "Yeah, we did," Billy replied. "but we didn't think anything like this would come out of it." "Is that your way of saying you don't approve?" I asked quietly, turning to look at Billy, biting my bottom lip. Billy shrugged. "It doesn't really matter whether I approve or not." he replied quietly. "It's your decision, not mine." I looked at Zak in the rearview mirror, and he looked back at me. "You don't approve?" Zak asked. Billy and Jay looked at each other, as though they were deciding how to answer the question. Jay just shrugged, but Billy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. No one said anything for about a minute. Finally Zak said, "Well that answers that question." Billy sighed. "Look, my only concern is that you two met yesterday. And I don't think two people can get to know each other well enough in twenty-four hours to determine whether or not they would make a good couple." "So you don't believe in love at first sight?" I looked at Billy, and he looked back at me. Billy slowly shook his head. "No, I don't. I stopped believing in love at first sight a long time ago." Nobody said a word. The atmosphere inside the van was starting to get very tense. Thankfully, at that moment Zak pulled into the parking lot of Famous Dave's. "Thank God for barbeque!" Aaron said, breaking up the tension in the van. We were all laughing as we climbed out of the car, and not another word was said about Zak and I dating as we walked into the restaurant (even though we _were_ holding hands). We got a table together near the back of the almost-deserted restaurant. We ordered our drinks and then got the huge dinner platter to share (it's everything that Famous Dave's has served on a huge trash can lid). As we sat there, the talk eventually turned to the lockdown that night. "So," Aaron asked, looking at me with a grin. "you regretting coming yet?" I shook my head. "Hell no! No matter what happens tonight, there's nowhere on Earth I'd rather be…" I blushed slightly as I said that, but Zak, Nick, and Aaron all high-fived me. Jay and Billy just grinned at me. "We're not actually going to be doing the lockdown, so we'll be safe!" Jay said. "Yeah." Billy chimed in. "We'll just be there to keep an eye on you guys and save your asses when you get into trouble." "What kind of trouble?" I asked. "When the Demons start attacking Zak because he's pissed them off too many times." Nick answered, taking a drink of his coke. I nodded, grinning slightly. "That's what I thought." Zak shook his head, but I gently squeezed his hand and grinned at him so he'd know I was mostly teasing him. He smiled back at me, and then leaned over and kissed me on the top of my head. When we pulled away from me, he looked around the table at all of us and said, "Alright crew, we need to decide what the game plan is for tonight." He looked at Billy and Jay before continuing. "The two of you are going to be running Nerve Center from the van out in the parking lot." Billy and Jay both nodded, and then Zak turned his attention to himself, Nick, Aaron, and I. "The rest of us are going to face the Demons. There's three on-site locations we're going to tackle. The slaughterhouse, Carl's old apartment, and the club itself. I want to put at least one X-Camera in each location, so Billy and Jay can monitor the whole place." He looked at Billy and Jay to make sure it was okay with them, and they both nodded. Zak continued, "And from there, at some point during the night, we're going to have so split up…" Nick and Aaron both opened their mouths to protest, but Zak cut them off. "I know you guys don't want to do it, but what choice do we have? We need to collect evidence, and each of us being on our own is the best way to do that." Nick and Aaron exchanged glances, and I felt a wave of real fear – the first that I had felt in the last twenty-nine hours – wash over me. I couldn't bear the thought of the three of them being by themselves in that Hell. Especially after everything that had happened to them there… I wasn't even worried about what was going to happen to me. My main concern was for the guys – especially Zak. I didn't want anything bad to happen to them. "What about Andrea?" Nick asked. I looked first at him, and then at Zak. Zak gently took my hand and said, "She'll be with one of us at all times. I'm not going to make her be alone in that Hell!" Zak put his arm around me and held me close, and I smiled up at him. Nick and Aaron both gave us a thumbs up. "That's good." Nick said. "And now the question is," Aaron threw out. "where are we each going to be, and are we going to be split up the entire night?" "I think it would be a really bad idea for us to be split up the entire night." Zak replied. "Also, it would make me extremely nervous. Bad shit general tends to happen to us when we're split up at Mackey's. Like really bad shit." Nick, Aaron, Billy, Jay, and I all nodded in agreement, and Zak continued. "So I was thinking that we split up at around one, and then maybe one to three we stay split up – unless something happens of course." A collective shudder went around the table at those words, but then Zak went on. "And from eight to one we investigate together." "And what are we going to do from three to six?" Aaron asked. Zak shrugged. "Regroup, I guess. Take care of ourselves if something happens, which it probably will. And then continue with the investigation until Bobby and Carl come to let us out." Nick, Aaron, and I all nodded. "So who would be where?" I asked, looking at Zak, who shrugged again. "I'm not sure. I think we should wait and figure that out when we get there and see how restless – or not – the Demons are." I nodded. We were all silent for about a minute, and then Aaron asked, "Besides Zak, is anyone else nervous about tonight?" Nick, Billy, Jay, and I all nodded. "Hell yeah dude!" Nick said. "The stuff at Mackey's is… insane. Yeah, I'm nervous. If the Demons really _do_ remember us, then we're in trouble. They'll remember how much we've taunted them, and they'll remember that we brought Bishop Long onto 'their' territory and blessed the place. I have a really bad feeling that tonight's going to be some sort of showdown or power struggle…" "Between us and them?" I asked quietly. Nick nodded, "Yeah." "That's what I'm worried about." Zak said quietly. "I don't think I'm afraid, but I do think we should all be on our guards tonight. God only knows what's going to happen once we get going with the investigation…" "All Hell's probably going to break lose…" I said quietly. "Literally…" We all shivered at that. "Are _you_ nervous about tonight?" Zak asked quietly, turning his head and looking at my face. I slowly nodded. "Yes, I'm nervous." I responded quietly. "However, I'm not so nervous for myself as I am for the three of you." I looked at Zak, then Nick, and then Aaron before turning my attention back to Zak. "But I'm especially worried about you." "Why especially me?" he asked quietly, raising his eyebrows slightly. I gave him a look over the top of my glasses. "Are you serious?" I asked. "Mr. I-provoke-the-demons-until-they-physically-attack-me?" Zak inclined his head, trying not to start laughing as Nick, Aaron, Billy, and Jay all started cracking up. "Point taken." Zak replied softly. "Exactly." I said. "I think we'll be fine, though. We're more prepared now than we were the other times. We know what we're up against, and we've dealt with Demons before. We're going to be just fine. We usually are." I opened my mouth to protest, but I didn't get the chance. I was going to point out how many times any of them had been possessed or attacked – how many times they _hadn't_ been fine – but our food came at that moment. So I didn't say a word. But in the back of my head there was a little voice saying, "None of you will be fine by dawn tomorrow."


End file.
